NCAA Basketball Betting Advice: Under-the-Radar Teams to Back in March

by Trevor Whenham - 3/3/2016

We are getting into a truly glorious time of year. First come conference tournaments and then the most grand of dances - the NCAA Tournament. From a betting perspective it is nearly a perfect month. As we head into the postseason, it's a good time to look for teams flying under the radar in lesser conferences that could provide some nice value for the next week or two. Here are six teams that stand out as being potentially profitable:

IUPU-Fort Wayne Mastodons: The Mastodons were 12-4 in Summit League play, which was good enough to earn them the top seed in the Summit League Tournament that starts on Saturday. If all goes accordingly to plan they will play South Dakota State in the tournament final for a berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Mastodons and Jackrabbits split their season series, so it could make for a strong game. That's not what is attractive about this team, though, What really stands out is that they are the single most profitable team in the country right now. They are a stellar 20-6 ATS on the season. Since they are a team that few have heard of in a conference that no one cares about, it's easy for them to stay under the radar. There is little risk of having the value bet out of them.

Oakland Golden Grizzlies: At 19-6-1 ATS, the Grizzlies are the second-best betting team in the country. They are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games, so they certainly aren't cooling down. They are clearly the second-best team in the Horizon conference behind Valparaiso. The Crusaders are good. However, after getting blown out by them early in the season, Oakland lost by just two on the road two weeks ago. They can be competitive. At the very least they should be ready to cover some spreads in the conference tournament starting on Monday (the tourney starts Saturday, but they have a bye to the semifinals).

St. Joseph's Hawks: The Hawks had a costly loss to St. Bonaventure on Wednesday night and have failed to cover three of their last four spreads. They are still 19-9-1 ATS, though, so they have the ability to shake off this slump and get back on track. The A-10 is ridiculously deep and competitive right now, so the tournament could go any number of ways. Given the strong betting performance of the team all season, the Hawks are as good as any to back in that tournament.

Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans: Little Rock has a stellar 27-3 record on the season, and their 17-2 conference record has given them a huge cushion in the conference. They are an outstanding defensive team - second fewest points per game allowed in the entire country. They don't score a ton, but they don't have to because they can control the pace so well. They are not going to struggle up to the conference tournament - they have just one game remaining, and it is against a really lousy Appalachian State team. If they are on their game they shouldn't have much trouble winning it and representing the Sun Belt in the NCAA Tournament, either.

Long Beach State 49ers: At first glance this team doesn't seem like much - their 17-13 record on the season doesn't exactly shine. They are a relatively strong 11-4 in Big West play, though. That is good for third behind Hawaii and UC-Irvine. Neither of those teams are unbeatable by any means, so the 49ers could certainly make a run in the conference tournament. They are a strong 16-10-2 ATS on the season, and they have won eight of their last nine games. Add the momentum to the betting success, and they are a team to watch heading into the conference tournament.

Wichita State Shockers: The Shockers have worked their way back into the bottom of the Top 25 - 23rd this week - so they aren't nearly as under the radar as other teams on this list. It's all relative, though - they aren't nearly as in the public conscience as they were in past years, and their early struggles this year made them easier to forget. This team has been fantastic lately, though - 16-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play and 18-10 ATS on the season. They hit a rough patch early in February, losing and failing to cover two of three. They have recovered nicely, though, winning five straight and going 4-1 ATS over that stretch. They are yet again in a very strong position in their conference tournament. Don't forget about the Shockers.

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